


Strength in my Heart of Hearts

by ich_bin_ein_stern



Series: I Just Really Like Naruto [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Character is Disowned, Mokuton User Haruno Sakura, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ich_bin_ein_stern/pseuds/ich_bin_ein_stern
Summary: I don't want to die.Sakura turns her head towards where she believes her teammates are.I'm going to try.Her hands reach into her pouch as Haku stalks over to her at a slow pace.I can buy Kakashi-sensei some time. Hopefully.Energy seemingly renewed, Sakura rolls over and gets to her feet. Breathing heavy, she falls into a defensive stance.[Previously titled "Do What You Need To Do (And Live)."]
Relationships: Gaara & Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino
Series: I Just Really Like Naruto [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/824952
Comments: 120
Kudos: 713





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please read:  
> ●I have decided to re-upload this story.  
> ●Previously titled "Her Eyes Saw It All"  
> ●This story was once posted on my FF.Net account (i-just-really-love-sakura) but I no longer use FF.Net.  
> ●I will upload as I (casually) edit.  
> ●There will be no update schedule.

**Chapter One**

_She swallowed her fear,_

_Looked Death in the eyes,_

_And made the choice to live._

Her eyes sting with tears threatening to fall. Not three feet away from her are Naruto and Sasuke, both unconscious and bleeding. Kakashi is currently locked in a one-to-two battle with Zabuza and Haku. From her perspective, Kakashi is holding his own despite bleeding from a shoulder wound. 

Blinking rapidly, Sakura focuses on her teammates. With what little bandages she carries in her pack, she does her best to stop the bleeding of various small cuts and a few larger ones. Carefully, she removes the remaining senbon needles from Sasuke's arms and chest and pulls the kunai out of Naruto's legs. 

Glancing up, she sees Haku unmoving on the ground. Dead or knocked out, Sakura doesn't care. But the fight between Kakashi and Zabuza grows ten times tense. She can barely make them out from how fast they're moving in the heavy mist. 

"Please," Sakura whispers to herself. "Please let him win. Please let us go home." She looks down at her teammates, caresses Sasuke's face and Naruto's damp hair. "Please let them live." 

A loud 'thud' sounds behind her and all noise falls silent. 

Sakura looks up and her heart stops for a moment. Lying unmoving on the ground several feet away is Kakashi. She can just make out the rise and fall of his chest and tries not to sag in relief. A loud scrape against the wet ground has her eyes shooting to the man who managed to knock her sensei down. He's advancing on Kakashi's position slowly. Sakura's eyes return to Sasuke and Naruto before darting back to Kakashi. 

_Get up_ , she thinks. 

But he doesn't. 

_Move!_ Sakura yells in her head. 

Nothing. 

A deep sense of fear races up her spine and settles heavily on her shoulders. Kakashi can't die. Naruto and Sasuke can't die. Zabuza is getting too close. His sword is resting on his shoulder, making the man appear taller than he is. 

Her decision is made. 

Swallowing her fear, she pulls a kunai out of her thigh pouch and shoots forward several feet to get to Kakashi and takes a protective position in front of him. This action seems to startle Zabuza judging by the slight widening of his eyes and how he lowers his sword. 

"Move," he commands. 

Words escaping her, Sakura shakes her head while not taking her eyes off him. 

"If you don't move, you'll die first and then him and then your teammates." 

"I'm not moving," Sakura states, voice trembling. 

"Restrain her," Zabuza commands, sword lifting back to his shoulder. 

An arm wraps around her, pinning her arms to her side, and something cold is pressed to her neck. Sakura's eyes go wide as she's pulled away from Kakashi. Light puffs of breath brush against the clammy skin of her exposed neck. Her fear intensifies. She and her team are going to die. 

_I don't want to die_ , Sakura thinks. _I don't want any of us to die_. 

Her eyes sting, vision boarding on blurry. Zabuza is almost to Kakashi. His pace is slow, almost teasing in a way. She glances down at her kunai. An insane thought enters her head, something desperate. Without hesitating, Sakura kicks out her leg in an attempt to knock Haku down. 

Her body jerks backward with her kick, the sharp metal against her neck following her. Next thing she knows, a sharp kick is delivered to the backs of her knees and she's falling down with her knees landing painfully against the ground. 

The sting is brief, but the gasp that escapes her mouth comes from when Haku grabs her hair, his kunai still pressed to her neck. Sakura looks at Kakashi, heart pounding loudly in her chest. Zabuza is standing over her sensei with his sword still resting on his shoulder. Sakura attempts to shake her head, soft "no's" falling out of her mouth. 

When he raises his sword, Sakura doesn't think. She moves. Jerking, she twists her body while raising her kunai. 

A cry cuts through the air so high-pitched, it leaves Sakura's ears ringing. She doesn't know who made the sound, she can't really focus on anything. Something in the back of her head tells her to run. She feels sweaty and her hands are sticky. 

Wait. 

_Sticky?_

She looks down. Haku is staring up at her like she's not human. And then she's on her back while pain ripples across her shoulder. She barely has any time to look before Haku is on her, senbon needles between the creases of one hand raised above her head while the other closes around her throat. She struggles immediately while nails bite into the skin. 

Her free hands go to the one he has around her throat, desperate to get him to let go. She looks around but sees nothing to grab and then her eyes fall to his wound. Her kunai is still sticking out of his side. Vision blurring, she reaches down for the kunai and uses her palm to press it deeper into him. 

He releases her immediately. 

Sakura rolls over and coughs several times, trying to get her breathing under control. She hears metal clashing against metal and looks up to see Kakashi back on his feet. Her relief is short-lived when she hears the 'clang' on metal hitting the stone ground. With shaky legs, she gets to her feet knowing that she'll be facing Haku with no real hope of winning. Turning to him, she sees him kneeling on the ground with blood dripping from the wound she gave him. 

"I underestimated you," Haku states simply. "I will not be making that mistake again." 

Sakura doesn't have time to think before she's flying backward. Her head cracks loudly against the ground, leaving her breathless and dizzy. 

_I don't want to die._ Sakura turns her head towards where she believes her teammates are. _I'm going to try._ Her hands reach into her pouch as Haku stalks over to her at a slow pace. _I can buy Kakashi-sensei some time. Hopefully._ Energy seemingly renewed, Sakura rolls over and gets to her feet. Breathing heavy, she falls into a defensive stance. 

Their blades collide. She's not skilled in weapons like Sasuke or full of stamina like Naruto and can only dream of being Kakashi's equal, but she is good in one area. 

With her excellent chakra control, Sakura drops her kunai and lets her hands fly into the symbols to perform genjutsu. Remembering the more difficult ones she learned from the Academy, Sakura activates one that plays on the fears of an enemy. Her control is seemingly perfect. 

"Do you think - " Haku stops, eyes wide. "What is this?" He looks around, eyes unfocused. 

Hope filling her chest, Sakura darts forward and sends a kick to Haku's chest. He goes back a couple of feet. She lands several punches to his face and stomach. She doesn't stop. Sakura pulls out another kunai and runs forward with the intention to slit Haku's throat only to stop suddenly when his head snaps up and he looks at her with an unreadable expression. 

After that, everything moves too fast. 

She's on her back again, pain sliding over her stomach. She cries out. Her stomach feels like it's on fire. She turns her head slightly just in time to see Kakashi's hand, surrounded by something like blue lightning, impale Haku through his chest. Haku, who is in front of Zabuza, smiles sadly before he closes his eyes and falls to the ground. 

Sakura hears voices, sees unfamiliar people, watches as Zabuza kills Gato and his men, dying in the process. She sees Zabuza crawl across the ground to lie next to Haku, tears falling from his eyes. She didn't realize how close she was to them from her position on the stone ground. 

Feeling tired, she leaves Zabuza and Haku one final thought before everything goes black. 

_May your souls rest in peace finally._

* * *

Sakura shoots awake and gasps, her hands flying to her stomach as a white hot burning spreads across it. Her shoulder doesn't hurt nearly as much as her stomach does. Tears spring to her eyes from the pain, but she shakily swallows them back. Looking around, she sees that she's alone. Her thoughts fall to her teammates. Where are Sasuke and Naruto? Are they alive? What happened to Kakashi? Is she the only one to make it? 

Glancing to the window, Sakura blinks at the bright moon hanging high in the sky. From its position, she guesses it's really late. Probably past midnight. Slowly lifting the blanket off her, Sakura looks down to see bandages around her stomach and realizes that someone changed her into her cropped night shirt and spare shorts. She grunts at the red specks appearing on the white bandages before moving her legs to the edge of the bed to place her feet on the ground. 

It takes her several tries to get off the bed and stand without swaying, but she manages. Bracing herself against the wall, Sakura walks along the wall until she makes it to the door of the room she's in. Opening it quietly, Sakura walks out into the hall and starts down the hall at a slow pace. Something in her gut tells her this is the right way to go. 

There's another room at the end of the hall and Sakura hopes the boys are in it because she doesn't know if she'll be able to make it to another room in her condition. When she reaches the door, Sakura opens in slowly to avoid waking anyone up. Upon entering, she is filled with an overwhelming need to cry. 

Sasuke and Naruto are laying on makeshift sleeping mats, bandaged up, and definitely alive. Sakura pushes herself off the wall and manages two steps before falling to her knees. Pain increasing but not to be stopped, she crawls toward them. Tears are sliding down her face by the time she reaches them. She checks over Naruto, who is closest to her, and then Sasuke. She places a tentative kiss on both their cheeks before lying down between their bed mats. The floor is cold, hard, and not something she should be sleeping on after what happened, but Sakura doesn't care. 

Completely exhausted and in pain, Sakura looks up at the ceiling. "We made it." She reaches out and takes one hand from each boy. "We made it." She falls asleep moments later.

* * *

" - in bed to heal!" 

"I am aware - her own person." 

"Why didn't you - doesn't have to - comfortable!" 

" - you need to calm - put her back to bed." 

"Listen to him, Naruto - hurt too." 

"Tell us what - her stomach is - shoulder?!" 

Sakura comes back to her senses like gasping for breath after nearly drowning. Eyes still closed, she moves her hand to her forehead to rub away the sweat that has collected there. Body aching, mind a mess, and desperately wanting to soak in hot water, Sakura tries to sit up. A sharp gasp escapes her when pain shoots up her stomach. 

Hands are on her immediately, pushing her down. 

"Sakura-chan, don't get up!" 

Wincing, Sakura struggles to open her eyes. 

"Don't yell, dumbass." 

Sasuke. 

Naruto and Sasuke. Alive. Talking. 

\- elp me up," Sakura manages to get out. Her throat is dry. 

"She's speaking!" 

As much as she's happy to hear Naruto, she doesn't appreciate his yelling. "Loud." 

"What was that, Sakura-chan?" 

Relaxing her body knowing that she's safe among her team, Sakura finally manages to get her eyes open.

She blinks once, twice, before her vision comes into focus. She first sees Naruto. He's grinning down at her, but his eyes speak volumes of how much he is worried about her. Sakura takes in the bandages around his forehead and the large one on his right cheek. She looks past Naruto to see Sasuke. There are no visible bandages on his face, but he isn't wearing his signature dark blue, high neck shirt. Just a long sleeve black shirt. His face is blank, but she sees the concern. 

"We're glad you're awake, Sakura." She turns her head towards the source of the statement and sees Kakashi smiling down at her (or so she assumes). 

"T-time?" 

"It's nearing two o'clock in the afternoon, " Kakashi supplies. 

Sakura closes her eyes and sighs. "Water?" 

"I'll get it!" Naruto says. 

Sakura hears him race out of the room to fetch her a glass of water. Hopefully with a straw. 

"You gave us quite the scare, Sakura. Moving to Sasuke and Naruto's room opened your stitches." 

"H-had to k-know. Teamma-mates." 

She feels a cool hand brush strains of her hair off her forehead, not bothering to feel self-conscious about that area, and sighs gratefully. 

"I know." 

Kakashi gets it. 

"I got the water!" Naruto announces loudly upon re-entering the room. "With a straw!" 

"Sit up?" Sakura asks. 

"Slowly." 

Two sets of hands slowly help her to a sitting position. She hears more than feels her pillows being propped up for her to rest on. Sakura opens her eyes to Sasuke taking a step back from her and then she blinks rapidly when a glass of ice water with a bright pink straw is thrust in her face. She takes it with a small smile and takes a sip. One sip is followed by two and the next thing she knows, the glass is empty. 

"Thank you, Naruto. That really helped." 

She's rewarded with a beaming smile in return. 

"You're welcome, Sakura-chan!" 

Nodding, Sakura turns back to Kakashi. "What happened?" 

"We won!" Naruto grins. 

Sasuke snorts. "Obviously." 

"Zabuza and Haku died and were buried together. Gato and his gang are no longer an issue." Kakashi says while taking out his small orange book. "Once you're healed enough to travel, we'll be leaving." 

Sakura nods her head. 

"Kakashi-sensei said you held your own against Haku," Sasuke states. Sakura blinks. She remembers her battle against Haku, if she's even allowed to call it that, and fights back a sigh. 

Instead, she shakes her head. "Hardly. You and Naruto did most of the damage." 

"You landed a few good hits on him, Sakura. And I believe you trapped him in a genjutsu." 

How he knows that she doesn't know. Again, Sakura shakes her head. "That hardly matters, Kakashi-sensei." The genjutsu lasted less than a minute. 

"Your actions saved your teammate's lives as well as my own. Don't downplay them." She wants to argue with him, but one look her way had her stopping. He reaches out and ruffles her hair gently. "You did a good job. I'm very proud of you." 

She ducks her head in what they probably assume to hide a blush, but what Sakura really feels in embarrassment. She really didn't do much. 

"How are you three?" Sakura says in hopes of changing the subject. 

"I'm good!" Naruto answers quickly. "A few bumps and bruises, but nothing that won't heal in a couple of days." 

She nods and looks to Sasuke. "I'm okay." It's the only thing he offers and Sakura smiles a little. Typical Sasuke. 

"And you, sensei?" 

Kakashi closes his book with a 'snap' and gives her hair another ruffle. "I'm doing alright myself." 

"More importantly! What about you?" Naruto asks, getting closer. 

Sakura looks down at her stomach, running a hand over the bandages before raising the same hand to touch her right shoulder. Both are tender to the touch. She doesn't even know what hit either of them. Judging by Kakashi's calm aura, she doesn't believe herself at risk for infection. 

"They're sensitive," Sakura concludes. "I don't even know what hit me." 

"You took several senbon needles to your stomach," Kakashi replies. "And two kunai to your shoulder. No infection. Your stomach was the most worrying part. The senbon needles Haku used are bigger than normal - huge, really - and a few of them ripped into your stomach. Not extremely deep, but deep enough to make it dangerous for you to be up on your feet." 

"What an ugly scar that'll make," Sakura laughs. 

"Be proud of your battle scars," Kakashi says, visible eye closing to indicate his smile. 

Sakura laughs again, but it sounds strained even to her ears. "Whatever you say." 

"I'm sure it won't be that bad, Sakura-chan! You'll still be beautiful with your scars!" 

Sakura blinks and then smiles sincerely. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Naruto. Thank you." 

Naruto's face turns red at her words. He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment before grinning at her. "You're welcome, Sakura-chan." 

"Are you hungry?" Kakashi asks. "Tazuna and his family have provided lodging and medical supplies and food until we are well enough to journey back to Konoha." 

"You mean until I'm well enough to journey back," Sakura replies, face falling into a blank look. 

"Naruto has two cracked ribs and should be resting," Kakashi states, book open again. "And Sasuke's left wrist is all but snapped." 

From her position on the bed, Sakura didn't even notice these other wounds on her teammates. She sighs. "I won't argue with you, sensei. And no, I'm not hungry." 

"You haven't eaten since yesterday morning, Sakura." It's Sasuke who says this. "At least drink the soup. It's much more edible than whatever crap Naruto made." 

Sakura's mouth twitches into a smile when Naruto turns to Sasuke and they fall into an argument. She's glad that they'll be okay soon. She doesn't even want to think about what sort of scar Haku's needles left on her stomach. _It'll probably be very ugly._ She blinks. Naruto's kind words come back. Maybe it won't be so b - Kakashi pets her hair. 

"We were really worried, Sakura." She hears it over the argument of her teammates. "You lost a lot of blood and there aren't a lot of medical supplies lying around. We had to use what was available since you used yours on Sasuke and Naruto and they, plus I, were ill-equipped. Tazuna's daughter stitched you up the best she could." 

Sakura clinches her bed sheets. "I hate being the one who slows down the team. This weakness," she motions to her shoulder and stomach, "will keep us here longer than we should be, Kakashi- sensei. I can barely walk and," she pauses to lick her dry lips, "I want to go home." 

"I know. But Sakura," she looks up at him, "there's nothing weak about healing after a battle. Your injuries are different than Sasuke's and Naruto's." 

She sighs but doesn't reply. 

"You said no to being hungry, but we're concerned. We won't force you to eat if you don't want to," Kakashi flips a page in his book, "but it would make you, and us, feel better." 

"That almost sounds like blackmail," Sakura replies, a small smile gracing her lips. 

He shrugs, but she can tell he's grinning. Turning back to her teammates, Sakura rolls her eyes at their position. Their faces are a couple of inches apart and Naruto has his fist raised as if to hit Sasuke. An idea pops into her head and she grins. 

"Do you guys want Kakashi-sensei and I to leave so you two can be alone?" 

The reaction is immediate. Their heads snap towards her in shock. 

"I can take Sakura-chan to the next room," Kakashi says playing along. 

"It'll be like the Academy days, only Shikamaru isn't here to accidentally make you kiss." 

They back away from each other quickly. 

"Sakura..." Sasuke shakes his head. 

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto whines. 

She can't help it. She starts laughing. It doesn't last long when pain shoots up her stomach, but their reactions are funny. 

"Be careful," Kakashi chimes in. "Don't laugh too hard." 

She settles down and leans comfortably against her propped pillows once again. Sasuke and Naruto are glaring at each other in annoyance, Kakashi is reading his little book, and Sakura is starting to feel sleepy again. Bringing her hand up, she covers a yawn quietly. 

"We should let Sakura rest," Kakashi says after closing his book with a 'snap' once again. _He does that a lot_ , Sakura thinks. "But when you wake up again, you need to eat something. Your strength will return quicker with something in your stomach." 

"Yes, sensei." Sakura blinks a few times, eyes growing heavy. 

"Sleep well, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grins. 

He touches her hand gently, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. She looks at him with a smile and turns her hand so she can squeeze back. Then she looks at Sasuke who appears not to know what to say or do. Her other hand twitches like she wants to reach out, but Sasuke makes the first move. He walks over to Kakashi's side of the bed and places his hand on top of hers. 

"You did good," he mumbles. 

She gives him the same soft smile she gave Naruto. 

"Thanks, guys." 

"Alright. It's time to let her sleep." Kakashi places a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to direct him away from the bed. Before he gets too far, he reaches out to ruffle Sakura's hair one last time. "Soup or bread? For when you wake up." 

She shrugs gingerly. "Either is fine." 

He nods. "Rest well."

* * *

The journey back to Konoha goes just a bit faster than Sakura thought it would, but she is being carried piggybacked by her sensei who takes great care in how he moves so he doesn't jostle her too much. Her shoulder has healed up rather nicely and her stomach is, more or less, healed enough for her to move around for a while without loss of breath. She and Kakashi briefly argued about her traveling on foot. 

She won, but only lasted about four hours before her stomach cramped and she had to stop. To her amazement, she isn't chastised for her choice and Sasuke gives her an impressed looked. Naruto offers to carry her, but she declines nicely. Kakashi, however, refuses to let her travel on foot again for at least the rest of the day. For the next two weeks, she's mostly carried by Kakashi. 

It disappoints her that she can't travel as fast as the boys, but she doesn't voice this. 

Tazuna and his family leave them well off. No perishable foods, bandages they went into the nearest town and bought for their journey, and a few personal hygiene items like new toothbrushes and deodorant. Sakura is grateful, of course, because the urge to brush her teeth comes up quicker than she likes. 

What really surprises her is the name Tazuna gives the bridge he built. 

Bridge Team Seven. 

It's a kind gesture that has Naruto grinning like mad for the first couple of days on their journey home, the kind of gesture that has Sasuke smile briefly, the kind of gesture that has Kakashi nod his head approvingly. She is proud of her team. Despite their setbacks, they were triumphant. 

"We're almost home!" Naruto exclaims. 

He loops around a branch and moves faster until he's in step with Kakashi. Sasuke moves forward until he is right next to Naruto. 

"When we get there, I will see all three of you to the hospital. While you're taken care of, I will report to the Hokage." 

"What?!" Naruto all but yells. "Why?!" 

"Because your ribs are still tender, Sasuke's wrist needs to be double-checked, and Sakura's stomach needs a proper healer." Kakashi speeds up a bit. "Your well-being is more important than turning in a report. As your sensei, I will see to it that you three are properly cared for." 

Naruto grumbles under his breath. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura speak. Something in Kakashi's voice has them biting their tongue. 

Sakura feels relief flood her body when the gates to their village come into view. It's such a welcomed sight. When they're a couple of yards away, they hop down and walk the rest of the distance. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by two gate guards who state that Kakashi's presence is needed in the Hokage's office as soon as possible. 

With a nod, Kakashi continues to the hospital. All four of them arrive at the hospital where a nurse greets them with a concerned look before taking them to an available room with two beds. Sasuke helps Kakashi lower Sakura to one of the beds and the nurse starts with her first. Three more nurses join them soon after. 

"Please treat them with your best care," Kakashi says. "I have been summoned to the Hokage's office." He turns to his students. "Don't try to leave before you're given a clear bill of health." He pats Naruto's shoulder and disappears in a flicker of black. 

"Please take a seat on the other bed," one nurse says while looking at Sasuke and Naruto. "We will access the damage to determine that best route to full health." 

Neither Sakura nor her teammates spoke during the whole ordeal. She doesn't protest to having her red qipao dress removed (her black cropped tank top underneath keeps her modest) or when the bandages are removed from her shoulder and stomach. She doesn't even blink at the brief horrified look on the nurse's face upon seeing her stomach. 

It only confirms how ugly the scar is. 

_Remember what Naruto said,_ Sakura thinks. _Beautiful even with scars._

"I can heal the damaged muscle beneath it, but the tissue around it is too old to fix." She sends Sakura a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry." 

Sakura only nods. 

After that, time seems to slow down. The nurse is towering over her for what feels like forever. 

"Done. You may feel a slight tightness in your lower abdomen for about a day or two. Try to take it easy." 

Sakura sits up slower, feeling a pull in her stomach, and swings her legs over the edge of the hospital bed. This is the best she's felt in two weeks. Once the nurse helps her re-dress, she leaves. Sakura notices the other nurses left already. 

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto calls. 

She nods. "And you guys?" She looks at both of them with narrowed eyes, accessing their appearance. Sasuke's wrist is no longer bandaged and Naruto only has one dinky little bandage on the right lower side of his chest. Naruto grins and gives her a thumbs up. Sasuke returns her nod, but he isn't looking at her face. His eyes are drawn to her stomach, where her scar was revealed briefly before being covered by her dress, but Sakura refuses to look, think, or even speak about the injury right now. 

"I'm okay," she says softly instead. 

Sasuke looks up at her, something in his eyes she can't recognize, and nods. 

"Team Kakashi?" a voice interrupts. 

All three of them turn towards the open door to their room to see a red-haired, blue-eyed man standing there with a jounin vest on. 

"Yes, that's us," Sakura replies. 

The man smiles a little. "I've been sent to retrieve you. The Hokage wishes to speak to all of you." 

Sakura nods and gets up. It barely hurts this time and she is grateful. Naruto whoops real loud and together with her teammates, they exit the room and follow the jounin out of the hospital and towards the Hokage Tower. 

The walk to the tower is done in silence. Sakura walks beside Sasuke, both behind Naruto, and hopes the meeting with the Hokage goes by quickly. She desperately wants to take a shower. She knows she looks as gross as she feels. Her hair is a mess, her face is pale, and her palms feel clammy. 

Someone grabs her arm abruptly to halt her. Sakura looks at the hand holding her arm and follows along it until she's facing Sasuke. 

"Be careful," he mumbles. 

Sakura looks ahead of her and sees that she very nearly walked into a wall. They are already at the Tower. 

"Thanks," she whispers back. 

He nods and let's go. 

"Good afternoon," the Hokage greets with a gentle smile on his aging face when they enter his office. Kakashi is standing off to the side, book out, and offers them a nod. 

"Hey old man!" Naruto exclaims. 

Sakura sighs. "Show some respect, Naruto." 

"The old man can take it!" 

She shoots their Hokage an apologetic smile. "Sorry for our teammate." 

Naruto huffs. "Are we here to talk about the mission or what?" 

"Kakashi has already stated much of what has happened, but I'd like some input from you three." 

"It was crazy!" Naruto nearly yells. "Mist nins and misty fields and needles and mirrors!" He scratches the back of his neck. "The other old man named his bridge after us." Sakura nods and Sasuke remains silent. 

The Hokage chuckles. "So I've heard." Then he regards them more seriously. "Your injuries. They've been cared for properly?" 

"Yes, sir." Sakura nods again. 

He looks at her, eyes calculative, before sighing. "Normally, such cases like what happened in Wave are dismissed and the team returned to the village immediately, but Kakashi states that all three of you were capable of completing it despite your grievances. I am glad to see you all back safely and walking. You will receive additional payment for your services. For the time being, however, you will not be assigned any missions outside of the village." 

Naruto groans loudly. "But why?!" 

Smiling, the Hokage replies with a simple: "You'll find out why soon enough." 

Sakura shares a look with Sasuke; both curious as to what the Hokage could mean. 

"Make sure you receive your payment before you leave." He picks up a scroll off his desk. "I'm very proud of you three. Dismissed." Kakashi leads the three of them out of the room and towards the financial center within the Hokage Tower. 

Sakura's eyes go wide at the amount handed to her. It is a lot. More than she would have thought to receive. She places it in her hip pouch with intentions of adding it to the money she's been saving for the last few years from doing mundane things for her neighbors (babysitting and chores mostly, but money is money and she isn't one to complain). 

"Yes!" Naruto pumps a fist in the air. "Time for some ramen!" 

Sakura covers her giggle. Typical Naruto. Beside her Sasuke huffs. From annoyance or amusement, Sakura can't tell. Together as a group, they leave the Tower and gather off to the side. 

"Regardless of the setbacks, I will reiterate how proud I am of you three for accomplishing something beyond your area of expertise. Instead of meeting up in the morning, we'll meet after lunch at around 12 o'clock." 

"12 for us but 2 for you," Sakura replies cheekily. 

Kakashi only offers her his signature one-eye smile before disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

"Let's go eat!" Naruto exclaims. "My treat!" 

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm going home to sleep." 

Sakura nods. "Sorry, Naruto. I want to go home and shower and then proceed to pass out on my bed. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow for lunch?" She turns to Sasuke. "Sound good?" 

Sasuke doesn't reply. 

"Come on, bastard! Let's have a team date or whatever!" Naruto says while getting in Sasuke's face. 

Pushing him away, Sasuke replies with, "Whatever, idiot. Stop getting so close." 

Sakura laughs. "I'll see you both tomorrow. Bye!" She turns away from them and can't help but smile when both of them send her off with pleasantries. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Life is full of challenges,_

_You'll gain and lose._

_So relish in the small victories._

Sakura stares blankly out of her window. The sky decided to grace her village with a downpour and she finds that it fits her current emotional state. Her bedroom is in a state of chaos. There are half-full boxes with various belongings in them, clothes dumped on the floor, scrolls lying around, weapons and books cluttered all over her dresser and desk, and bandage wrappings spread over her bed. 

_"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Sakura calls out upon opening the door to her house. When she receives no reply, she assumes they're out and about in the village. That isn't the case, however, when she walks into the dining room and sees her parents sitting at the table silently, empty teacups in front of them._

_"Sakura," her father greets but his voice lacks the usual cheeriness associated with the man._

_"Dad!" Sakura smiles. "Why didn't either of you answer back?" She walks over and gives him a hug only to frown when he doesn't return it. "Dad?" Haruno Kizashi regards her with a blank expression._

_"Have a seat, Sakura. There's something we need to discuss." Frowning in concern, she drops her traveling pack on the floor and takes a seat across from her mom and next to her dad._

_"What's wrong? Did something happen?" She grows increasingly worried when neither replies right away._

_"Your mother and I have been discussing your...career choice lately," her dad begins._

_Sakura briefly closes her eyes. She knows where this is headed. "You still don't approve," she states simply._

_"How can you expect us to approve of something so dangerous?" her mom asks quietly. "The life of a shinobi isn't guaranteed to last." Haruno Mebuki's distaste in the shinobi way of life has been apparent for many years._

_"You were gone for longer than you said you'd be! Can you even imagine how worried we were?!"_

_Sakura sighs. "The client lied about his request and it wasn't found out until we were already in Wave."_

_"When your sensei found out, he should have turned you around immediately!" Her mom snaps. "It's carelessness like that, that will get you killed one of these days! He's clearly unfit to lead a team of children."_

_Annoyance blossoms in Sakura's mind; both at the insult towards her sensei and being regarded as a child. Genin are considered "miniature adults" among the village for deciding to take the path of becoming a shinobi. Their privileges increase above that of an average civilian._

_"Kakashi-sensei has been good to me and my teammates," Sakura argues. "Besides, by the time we got there, it was too late to head back! We caught the eye of the enemy and became targets!"_

_"You were put in unnecessary danger for nearly a month," her dad states. "Was the client arrested?"_

_"He better have been for lying," her mom states._

_Sakura shakes her head. "He was not. Konoha shinobi have no jurisdiction in Wave."_

_Her mom only snorts, eyes taking on a sort of cruel look. "Were you paid in addition to your service?"_

_"Yes," Sakura replies._

_She looks down at the dining table as she thinks about the amount the clerk gave her. It's a lot of money to be making as a genin. The payment for D-Rank missions is barely better than the babysitting and chores she used to do for the neighbors on the weekend. She's something like what happened in Wave won't happen again for her for a while._

_"Good," she hears her dad say. "Because that's the last time you're leaving this village."_

_Sakura's head snaps up at this declaration. "What?!"_

_"Your father and I have agreed that it's time you stop this foolishness with the shinobi lifestyle and do something more productive with your life."_

_It is like they both slapped her in the face and then she's filled with anger. "Being a shinobi is productive! We protect the village, we teach and learn, we aid others when they need it, doing the dangerous work that needs to be done, and more!"_

_"We are not part of a clan!" Sakura's eyes go wide at her dad's words. "The clans in Konoha provide more than enough protection for the village. You aren't needed."_

_For a moment, Sakura wants to flip the dining table and yell at them. For a moment, she wants to tackle her dad to the floor. For a moment, she feels like crying because his words tore at her heart._

_She thinks about the scar on her stomach. "Being a shinobi is one of the best choices I've ever made." Tears build in her eyes, stinging them. "I made a difference on this mission." She got that scar as proof of what she is capable of._

_"One mission," her mom scoffs. "You may not survive the next."_

_Sakura closes her eyes briefly. She's already made up her mind. "I want to be a kunoichi."_

_"We don't want you to be."_

_"Then why did you enroll me in the Academy?" Sakura snaps. "What was the point of wasting the money to buy my supplies?"_

_"We had hoped that, by indulging you, you'd get in out of your system and decide a better path."_

_"A path only you both approve of," Sakura replies through gritted teeth._

_She sees her mom flush from embarrassment._

_"The mission to Wave is the last mission you'll be on. This is for your own good."_

_Sakura shoots to her feet, chair flying backward into the wall with a loud slam. "I'm going to a kunoichi! You can't decide my life for me!"_

_"As your parents, we get the final say in your choices. I, for one, won't continue to pay for your supplies so you can continue on this path to getting yourself killed." Her mom nods in agreement._

_"I'll pay for it myself," Sakura replies._

_"That is not the point," her dad says. "The point is that your mother and I won't support a daughter who won't heed our advice."_

_"Your 'advice' is too controlling -," she stops when her dad stands up._

_"That's enough. You will either do as we say or," Sakura waits with bated breath, "or pack up your things and get out."_

_"You'd really kick me out?" Sakura can't contain the shock in her voice. Nor the hurt._

_"We are civilians, Sakura. Not shinobi. There will be no shinobi in this family."_

_"You're kicking me out of the house..."_

_"The house and family if you choose the wrong path," her dad replies. "Make your choice."_

_Sakura stares are him blankly for a moment not believing what she is hearing. The hard look on her dad's face shows the truth to his words. The blank look on her mom's face only hurts more to see._

_But she made her choice._

_"When do you want me gone?" She doesn't react to their brief shocked faces._

_"You have until tomorrow evening," her mom - no, not mom anymore - Mrs. Haruno states. "There...are boxes in the hallway closet that you can place your things in. We are going to visit the neighbors. There are leftovers in the fridge."_

_You'll still feed me, Sakura thinks sarcastically. But the pain she feels in her heart hurts ten times more than the pain she experienced after waking up that day in Wave._

_Mr. Haruno says nothing else and he and his wife leave moments after._

Sakura glances down at her lap. She's holding her copy of the team picture Kakashi gave her a couple of months ago. She smiles softly while tracing over each face until she got to hers. Sakura doesn't like the innocence coming from her smiling face. She's too soft-hearted. 

Sighing, she gently places the picture on the window ledge and gets up. 

"First, I need to shower. Second, I need to find an apartment. Third, finish packing. Fourth, move in." She glances at the clock hanging above her desk. The Haruno's left almost two hours ago and she only half-heartedly packed some of her belongings while moping about. Walking over to her mirror, she strips out of her outer dress leaving her only in her black shorts and cropped fishnet top. 

Her scar sticks out like a sore thumb. It's about an inch below her belly button, stretching from one side of her stomach all the way over to the other side, about half an inch wide. 

"You're ugly," Sakura laughs. "So ugly, but also kind of beautiful in a way." She reaches up and traces the scar on her shoulder. "Not so bad." It's about half a foot long, starting from the top of her shoulder and going down her arm. 

Naruto's kind words can be heard deep inside her head courtesy of Inner, but Sakura ignores them for the time being. She looks down at the dress she dropped to the floor. It belonged to her mothe - no - it belonged to Mrs. Haruno when she was younger. It has tears around the sleeves and across the bottom, the edges fraying. 

"Today's the last day I wear you," she mumbles to herself while walking over to her dresser and pulls over a towel from the bottom drawer. 

Sakura walks into her bathroom and looks around. A lot of the decor is pink and white themed. Pretty, but no longer necessary. She places her towel on the rack by the shower-tub and turns on the water to a heat she can barely stand. Walking over to the sink, she opens the mirror to the cabinet behind it and pulls out lavender scented bubble bath and epsom salt. She dumps two handfuls of salt in the tub and adds a generous amount of bubble bath. 

When the tub is nearly filled, large bubbles start to float up from it and dance around the bathroom. Sakura smiles briefly. The room smells wonderful. It takes her but a moment to rid herself of the rest of her clothes before stepping into the tub. The nearly to hot water is a welcomed difference than Wave's misty weather. With a sigh, she sinks deep into the tub until her chin is resting on top of the water. Her shoulder and stomach ache for a few minutes until they get used to the heat, the rest of her skin has gone numb quickly. 

She soaks for a while, mind racing over the different places she needs to check out. The bonus from the mission is a great help. The money she's racked up over the last few years can definitely allow her to rent a decent place for now. 

"If I'm lucky, I might even find a place with standard furniture..."

* * *

"That was...wonderful," she whispers to herself. Ridding herself of the dirt and grime from under her fingernails, washing her hair, and everything greatly improved her mood. 

She's currently standing in front of her bathroom mirror, seeing only parts of her reflection from where she wiped the moisture away with her hand. Her towel is wrapped tightly around her body and her pink hair is pulled back completely in a tight, high bun. Her skin is tinted a light red, but her body is thankful for the soak. The aches gone. 

"It's nice to be officially clean." She opens the mirror cabinet and pulls out a couple of her skincare items. A serum and moisturizer. As far as skincare goes, this is the most she does and it keeps her face clear, bright, and healthy. "How I've missed you both." She kisses both items. "At least some things haven't changed." 

When she's done, Sakura winks at herself before giggling. While she is still upset from the events earlier, at least she feels much better than before. Cleaner. Fresher. Sakura walks out of the bathroom and to her closet. She spares a glance at the window and takes note of the bright sun high in the sky. 

"It might be humid from the rain," she says out loud. "So nothing too, too heavy." 

Digging around, Sakura frowns when she realizes that a lot of her dresses resemble the red qipao dress still on the floor in front of her mirror. "No more red," she mumbles. She gives up rather quickly and closes the doors to her closet. Instead, she moves to the dresser and digs around in the top drawer for her spare tops. 

Eventually, she decides on a black tank top with a cropped bright pink hoodie with baggy sleeves and black shorts, just a little shorter than the shorts she normally wears with her regular outfit. "Good enough." She dresses quickly. 

"I'll do my laundry late tonight so I don't disturb them." Sakura knows her paren - damn it, no! - the Haruno's are back and are sitting in the living room. Not wanting to be confronted, Sakura merely shoves her dirty clothes in a corner and looks at herself in the mirror. She has grown into her forehead since her young days and she likes the idea of it being in a bun. She pulls some of her side bangs out, however, to frame her face just a bit. 

"I look really different!" She laughs cheerfully to herself. "I like it!" Much of her clothing came as hand-me-downs. There's nothing wrong with that, but they didn't suit her body type all that well. The clothes shes wearing now are more comfortable and stylish. With confidence, Sakura picks up her forehead protector - laughing internally - and ties it onto her head much like she normally does when her hair is down. 

She walks over to her desk where she placed her hip and thigh pouch and puts them on. Feeling satisfied with her appearance and holding her head high, Sakura walks over to her window and picks up the picture of her team. With a smile, she moves it out of the way and opens the window. Not hesitating, she jumps through it to the ledge on the other side and closes it gently. 

She sets off to the nearest apartment complex.

* * *

Sakura is used to the looks she gets around the village. She is the only person with pink hair after all. It also doesn't help that she choose to wear a hoodie that's nearly identical in color to her hair, but she smiles nonetheless, greets the passers-by, and waves at little kids. 

When she arrives at the first apartment complex, Sakura immediately heads for the renter's office. Upon entering, she is greeted by an elderly woman smoking a pipe. Several cats are walking around the office, most don't bother to spare her a glance. 

"How can I help you, young miss?" 

Sakura offers her a smile. "I was wondering if you had any one-bedroom apartments available and if so, what would be the cost?" 

The woman shakes her head with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, dear. I just rented out the last one. I'd recommend you try the ones over by the hospital. Rents pretty cheap and most rooms come with furniture." 

Smile becoming strained, Sakura nods. "Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day." 

"You too, dear. Best of luck to you." 

Sakura manages to leave with her head held high but she's already feeling nervous. She doesn't want to end up on the street with her belongings. 

Maybe I should talk to Kakashi-sensei?, Sakura thinks. Get some advice. Then she shakes her head. No. I can do this on my own. I can be independent. But as the day continues, her hopes fall short. The apartments by the hospital are a bust. From there, she is directed to another complex by the Hokage's Tower. That doesn't work out either. 

The sun is setting when she decides to take a break by the bridge she and her teammates' meet-up at for training. She walks aimlessly towards one of the trees while gazing around. The sunset gives the area a beautiful glow and Sakura feels at peace - "Oof!" 

And she's one the ground. 

"Troublesome woman." There's only one person she knows that talks like that. Sakura rolls over and sits up only to come face-to-face with Shikamaru. He regards her with slight interest, eyes roaming over her, before dropping onto his back, eyes falling closed. 

"Sorry," Sakura says sheepishly. "I wasn't paying attention." 

Shikamaru only hums in reply. Sakura tilts her head while looking at him before looking up. They're under one of the bigger trees near the red bridge, the spot gives her a good view of the Hokage Mountain and the lovely sunset behind it. The stress of today's situation rears its ugly head into the front of her mind. Sakura sighs sadly. She has no family to call her own now. No mom or dad to go home to. 

Following Shikamaru's example, Sakura shifts until she's right next to him and then proceeds to sit there while gazing up at the Hokage Mountain. She remains silent for nearly half an hour before breaking it. 

"Are you awake?" she asks quietly. 

Shikamaru sighs before sitting up. "Yes." He looks at her. "What inspired the change?" 

Sakura shrugs good-naturedly. "Some things have happened recently. It's time for a change." 

"I heard you got back from Wave this afternoon." 

Sakura raises an eyebrow. 

Shikamaru scratches the back of his head. "My dad mentioned something about it. How was it?" 

"The start was fine, the middle sucked, and the ending has some questionable occurrences." She grins. "There's a bridge named after my team in Wave." 

"Lucky," Shikamaru mutters. "My team's been stuck with D-Rank missions for months now." 

"Naruto got sick of them and damned a C-Rank. It was supposed to be a simple escort mission, but the client lied. What was supposed to be C-Rank...ended up B-Rank. Kakashi-sensei even said it had the possibility of being A-Rank." 

"Troublesome," Shikamaru shakes his head. 

"Tell me about it," Sakura laughs. "I and the others were roughed up a bit, but we managed." 

They fall into a companionable silence for a few minutes. Shikamaru is looking at the sunset and Sakura is looking at Shikamaru. The light from the fading sun makes his hair look darker than it is. Sakura makes a mental note of how nice Shikamaru's side-profile is. 

"So," she begins. "What brings you all the way over here? Isn't the Nara compound on the other side of the village?" 

Shikamaru yawns. "Was running some errands for my dad. Got tired." 

Sakura giggles into her hand. "Sounds like you." 

"And you?" He asks. 

She hesitates to reply. She doesn't necessarily need to tell Shikamaru about her situation, but it wouldn't hurt to ask him about apartments or lodging. If push comes to shove, she'll pay for an Inn until she can figure something out. 

"I'm looking for an apartment," she says finally. "One bedroom, preferably with furniture already in it. I tried the place near my...parents home and over by the hospital and by the Hokage's Tower. But no such luck." 

Instead of asking questions, Shikamaru stands up and offers her a hand. Surprised, Sakura takes it and allows herself to be pulled to her feet. 

"Come on," he says while starting to walk away. 

"Huh?" Sakura blinks. "Where are we going?" 

"To my family's place." 

"Why?" Sakura asks as she falls into step next to him. 

"You'll see," is the only reply she gets. 

Sakura only rolls her eyes but follows along. They walk in comfortable silence, passing by civilians out and about for last minute shopping. She sends smiles to all the kids walking with their parents despite feeling a tightening in her chest. The trip to Shikamaru's home is pleasant enough. The air is cooling down, something Sakura finds pleasant. Eventually, they start walking through the clan distract.

* * *

They arrive in about 20 minutes. They would have made better time by running on the rooftops, but Shikamaru didn't appear to be in a hurry. She laughs to herself. He has always been one to prefer taking things slow. 

The compound is huge with several buildings she can only assume to be homes. Surrounding family members nod at Shikamaru, someone even calling out to him or wave, but all regard Sakura with curious looks. In the center of the compound is a large, friendly-looking building. She knows this to be the main family's home. There are flowers along the edge of the building, it's white with black texture, and steady smoke is coming out through the top. 

"It's lovely," Sakura says. 

Shikamaru hums. "Tell that to my mom and she'll never let you leave." He motions for her to follow his lead through the front. "I'm back!" Sakura copies him in taking off her sandals. 

"What took...you?" Nara Shikaku looks surprised upon showing up to greet his son. "Hello, I don't believe we've met?" 

Sakura bows low, ignoring the stretch in her lower stomach muscles but before she can reply, Shikamaru beats her too it. "Dad, this is Sakura. Sakura, this is my dad." 

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Good evening, Shikaku-sama." 

Shikaku blinks before grinning. He offers her his hand and she takes it with a smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Sakura." Then he tilts his head. "You wouldn't happen to be the Haruno Sakura?" 

It takes everything within her to not flinch at the surname. Instead, she offers a strained smile. "That would be me, sir." 

"You're the girl that's always been right behind Shikamaru in the Academy. Your test scores are impressive." 

Sakura grins while Shikamaru covers his face. "Gathering and retaining information is a specialty. Plus, I like to read challenging material." 

He nods, clearly impressed, and then looks at his son. "You can learn a thing or two more if you'd follow her lead." Sakura blushes while Shikamaru rolls his eyes. Shikaku looks back at Sakura. "If you're interested in different areas of study, you're more than welcomed to drop by. Any friend of Shikamaru is welcomed. Our library is rather big and holds information one might not normally find in the public library." 

She dips her head. "Thank you, sir." 

Shikaku grins before turning to his son. "Your mother is in the process of making dinner." He turns to Sakura. "Do you tilapia?" 

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose." Her concern is waved off. 

"Don't worry about it. My wife often makes more than necessary to feed everyone. Comes with having friends over throughout the week." 

"If you're sure..." 

"Just accept it, Sakura." Shikamaru groans. "Besides, you need to talk to my dad." 

Sakura and Shikaku share a look of confusion. 

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Sakura needs an apartment." 

"Ah, okay. Go check on your mother in the kitchen. I'll take Sakura to the main room. Join us when you can." Sakura sends a look towards Shikamaru, but he just waves her towards his dad. 

Sakura follows a step behind Shikaku, eyes roaming around. Everything is spacious, neat, but very welcoming. 

"So, you're on Kakashi's team, right?" 

"Hmm? Oh, yes." 

"How are you then? Heard you and your team got back from Wave earlier today. The client lied on his request form." 

Sakura nods. "By the time we found out, we were already dealing with the assassins after him. There was no guarantee that we'd be left alone if we abandoned the mission. It was...rough." She sighs. "We got hurt pretty badly." We nearly died. 

"I'm glad you and your team returned safely." 

She inclines her head. "Me as well, sir." 

"So, you're looking for an apartment? You're pretty young to be living on your own and I'm aware you come from the civilian section. May I inquire as to why you are looking?" They arrive at their destination and he motions for her to take a seat before he sits across from her. 

Sakura bites her lip, eyes focusing on the table between them. 

"I was disowned mid-afternoon." Saying it out loud makes Sakura want to cover her face. Instead, she looks up and sees his stunned expression. She continues. "My parents," she stops and shakes her head. "Mr. and Mrs. Haruno do not approve of my career choice. They gave me an ultimatum to which I refused. I've been given until tomorrow evening to get out with my belongings." Her eyes stung. She's faced with the horrible realization that she wants to cry. 

"You're from the civilian sector and most of Konoha's forces come from clans," he states. Sakura nods her head slowly. She knows this. "I'm truly sorry to hear that, Sakura-san. I cannot imagine what you must be feeling right now." 

"They told me they were only indulging me when enrolling me into the Academy." She laughs. It comes out bitter. "They had hope that I'd get it out of my system and then do something more 'productive.'" Shikaku frowns but remains silent as she continues. "The mission to Wave didn't go as planned and coming home after so long pushed them to the edge." There's a hitch in her voice. "Mr. Haruno told me there'd be no shinobi in his family." 

She didn't realize she is crying until someone presses a cloth against her face. Blinking through her tears, she looks up to see Shikamaru sitting next to her. 

"Thank you," she whispers and dabs her eyes. "Gosh, I'm such a crybaby." 

"It's one stressful situation on top of another. Don't apologize." It's Shikaku who says this. "But in regards to your situation, the Nara family provides housing for orphaned children until they reach 18 years of age regardless of what occupation they choose. After which they may stay by paying low monthly rent. Your situation is similar in a way so the offer is open." 

Sakura's mind goes blank for a moment. "What?" 

Shikamaru nudges her. "You can stay in my family's apartments, Sakura." 

Shikaku sighs. "I'm not one to turn away a kid in need. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the only apartments available right now are three-bedrooms. Basic furniture is provided. One bed, one dresser, a built-in closet, and a desk in each room. A coffee table, dining table with four chairs, a couch, plus a love seat are also included for the kitchen slash living room. Dishware is provided upon request. There's a laundry mat on each floor at the end of the hall. What else am I missing?" He rubs his chin. "You take care of your trash, provide your own food, etcetera. Sounds good?" 

She smiles sincerely. "It more than I could ever ask for." 

"When do you think you'll be ready to move in?" 

"When I go h - I mean - go back tonight, I will finish packing. I'll be meeting my teammates for lunch tomorrow. We didn't come up with a time, but Kakashi-sensei wants us to meet-up at 12 for training, which is really 2 PM for him. So before 11 tomorrow? Assuming lunch will be around 11. Tomorrow evening is too vague of a time for me to officially leave." 

"How's nine o'clock sound?" 

"Sounds good. And I'm really grateful, Shikaku-sama. I was...well, to be honest, I was ready to give up already and just start living in an Inn until I found a place. It's a good thing I tripped over Shikamaru." 

Shikaku raises an eyebrow before turning to his son. "Should I be concerned about you having girls fall at your feet?" Simultaneously, Sakura and Shikamaru look at each other, blush, and then quickly look away. 

"Troublesome old man," Sakura hears quietly from next to her. "That wasn't appropriate." 

"What isn't appropriate?" 

Sakura looks up to see a pretty woman with her dark brown hair pulled back into a low bun, white bandana keeping it in place, holding a tray of hot tea. 

"Dad's comments." 

Nara Yoshino raises an eyebrow at her husband. "And what, husband dear, are these comments?" 

Not wanting to relive that brief moment of embarrassment, Sakura intervenes politely. "Is that jasmine tea with lemon zest?" 

Blinking, Yoshino grins. "Correct! Are you a fan?" 

Sakura shoots her a smile. "I enjoy it with oyakodon." She sees the thankful look on Shikaku's face and keeps herself from grinning. 

"Me too!" Yoshino turns to her husband and son. "I like her!" She's pointing to Sakura whose face goes red again and proceeds to serve her tea first. "Dinner will be ready soon." Turning to Sakura, she grins. "Hope you're hungry." 

Sakura is. She hasn't eaten all day, quickly losing her appetite moments after returning to what she thought was home. Instead, she smiles and nods politely.

* * *

Dinner with Shikamaru's family doesn't go the way Sakura expects. Halfway through, Yoshino and Shikaku butt-heads over something seemingly unimportant. It takes Sakura several minutes to realize that they're flirting and in doing so, ducks her head to hide a smile and continues eating. 

The food is excellent. Shikaku wasn't kidding when he said his wife made more than what would be deemed necessary for their small group. The fish is cooked to perfection and pairs nicely with the sticky white rice, tea, and fried vegetables. She tries not to stuff her face, but the food is so good and so welcomed. 

"So, Sakura-chan, how is the food?" Yoshino asks before taking a sip of her cooling tea. 

"It's wonderful. The best I've had in weeks." 

Yoshino grins clearly appreciating the praise. "I can imagine. Food on the road isn't nearly as pleasant as home-cooked meals." 

"I agree," Shikaku says. He places more rice into his bowl. 

Sakura nods. "My team and I were provided with food by our client's family for our way back, but it lasted only about a week. We snacked on ramen and protein bars the rest of the way. This is actually my first meal today." She didn't bother with the leftovers in the fridge at her p - at the Haruno's. 

"If that's the case, then eat to your heart's content! I'll be sure to send you home with some so that you may share it with your family." 

It's such an innocent statement, but Sakura can't fight the flinch. 

"Mom - " Shikamaru starts but stops immediately when Sakura shakes her head. 

"It's alright," she tells him before turning to his mother, her smile strained. "I don't have a family anymore, Yoshino-sama. I was disowned earlier this afternoon." 

Eyes going wide, Yoshino hastily apologizes. "I'm so sorry. Do you have a place to stay? We have plenty of room!" 

"She'll be moving into one of our apartments tomorrow morning, dear," Shikaku states. "She has to be out by tomorrow evening." 

"That's a big apartment for one person. It may get lonely." 

"I don't mind. It gives me a lot of space." 

Yoshino nods slowly. She looks like she wants to ask something else, but chooses not to. Sakura knows what she wants to ask. 

"You can ask me, Yoshino-sama." 

"What could cause your par - guardians - to disown you?" Sakura appreciates the quick catch. 

"They don't approve of my career choice," Sakura pauses to take a sip of her now cold tea. "They want me to do something more 'productive' with my time." 

Yoshino's face adopts an angry look and even Shikamaru looks annoyed. She sees him send his father a look, not understanding the silent exchange between them. 

"If they didn't approve of your career choice, why would they pay to put you through the Academy?" 

Sakura laughs. It comes out bitter. She misses the concerned looks exchanged between the Naras. "They stated that they were indulging me in hopes that, by the time I graduated, I would have gotten all notion of being a kunoichi out of my head." She grins down at her plate. "They were wrong." 

"Indeed. There's been talk of your recent mission to Wave." Yoshino pours herself more tea. 

"And the gossip continues," Shikaku mumbles into his bowl of rice. 

Yoshino snorts gracefully. Sakura doesn't know how she does it, but she does. It makes her smile. 

"You, Inoichi, and Choza are some of the worst gossips I know." 

"If you don't mind me asking, what has been said?" 

They turn to her, both their faces grim. "It could have been A-Rank," Shikaku starts. "It should have been classified as A-Rank. You and your teammates are recently graduated genin. To hear that a team of genin, regardless of who their sensei is, taking on two Mist nin in a foreign region is impressive. Especially when one of them is a missing-nin. Winning? Even more impressive. It shows potential." He waves his hand. "Gets you noticed. 

Sakura nods. "I see. That's good, I suppose." 

"I hope Kakashi has a good schedule set up for you and your teammates for the next month and a half." 

At this, Shikamaru groans. "Asuma-sensei makes us get up too early." 

"Why the emphasis on the next month and a half?" Sakura asks. 

And just like that, she's under three varying looks of surprise. 

"For the chunin exams, Sakura. They're towards the end of next month." 

Sakura tilts her head in confusion at Shikamaru. "Chunin exams?" 

Shikamaru only responds by rubbing a hand other his face while muttering, "What a drag."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Surprise, surprise!_

_Look at all you have to do!_

_Good luck managing time._

"Do you think you'll need anything else?" Shikaku asks while tapping his pen against the clipboard in his hand. 

Sakura looks around her apartment with a sense of accomplishment. The boxes with her belongings are stacked neatly off to one side. The place has been dusted and wiped down; everything is sparkling. And there's so much space it's laughable. Sakura particularly likes the color scheme of black and silver. Black walls, silver furniture. The window blinds have been pulled up to let the sunlight filter through to avoid turning on the light. 

"I think I can handle everything else, Shikaku-sama. And I apologize for my dress." Sakura remains embarrassed about staying up all night and not changing into fresh clothes for the day. 

The older man chuckles slightly before nodding. He writes something down on his clipboard before handing it over to her. There are markings on the lease, his initials next to them, and a line at the bottom for her to sign her name. The front page of a thin packet. 

"Read through that carefully and then sign it if you are satisfied." He looks out the window. "It's just hitting 10, give or take five minutes, and I have to be somewhere in 10 minutes. I'll let you keep that and you can drop by the house this evening to drop that off." 

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you." Sakura accepts the clipboard with a blush. 

Shikaku waves her off. "No worries, Sakura-chan. I can only hope things work out for you. Look at this as a fresh start." He eyes her boxes up and down. "It's going to take you a while to unpack those. I'll send my lazy son over to help." 

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bother Shikamaru. He's probably training with his team, right? For the chunin exams?" 

"His sensei won't be back until this evening. He took the opportunity to sleep in." Shikaku shakes his head. "That lazy son of mine." 

Sakura giggles behind her free hand. "Sounds like him. He fell asleep in class a lot but still managed top testing scores. He's a prime example of a lazy genius." 

She receives a grin. 

"Alrighty, Sakura-chan. I'll be seeing you later. Don't forget to meet up with your teammates for lunch and make sure to question that lazy sensei of yours about the chunin exams." 

"Bye, Shikaku-sama! And thank you for the help!" 

He waves at her, steps outside, and is gone in a puff of smoke. 

Sakura closes the door and looks around her apartment with a grin and grips the lease tightly. If what Shikaku said is true, then she has about an hour to unpack some things and freshen up before meeting up with Naruto and Sasuke. She walks over to her primary bag (the one she set aside full of personal hygiene, some undergarments, her team picture, and a few other nicknacks) and picks it up and proceeds to walk over to the dining table, place the lease down with the bag, and open it. First things first, she pulls out her team picture and places it on the window ledge next to the table. 

"Just for now," she mumbles. Next, she pulls out her brush and comb set along with some hair ties. After that, it's a couple of pieces of jewelry, some spare band-aids, and a few other things like gum and dental floss and her tooth brush and toothpaste. 

Abandoning the bag on the table, Sakura sets about making a list of things she'll need to pick up after the team's meet-up and - hopefully - training session. "New bed sheets, curtains, cleaning supplies, fresh produce...maybe decor to liven up this place?" She looks around and nods. 

After that, Sakura moves to one of the smaller boxes containing her clothes. She doesn't have a lot, considering she left behind much of the hand-me-downs in her old closet. Digging around, she settles for a black tank top, matching shorts that stop above her knee, and a similar cropped hoodie to the one she wore last night, only viridian in color. Sakura bought it some time ago when the store clerk told her it matched her eyes. 

_And it's true_ , she thinks. _And very pretty_. 

Sakura walks into the bedroom she claimed as her own (the largest one of the three) and changes. She spends a moment looking at her scars. Both stand out against her pale skin, but neither feels tight anymore. 

"They're a part of me now," Sakura whispers to herself. "Get over it." 

She walks back into the dining room and picks up her brush. Sakura makes quick work of braiding her hair loosely over her shoulder, securing it with a hair tie, and throwing it back over her shoulder without a care. The braid rests lightly against her back. Just as she's about to start the serious unpacking, there's a knock on her door. 

Sakura walks over to the door and opens it and then proceeds to roll her eyes. "Good morning, Shikamaru." The boy only half-heartedly glares at her. It's clear his clothes were just thrown on. She rolls her eyes again. "You can't sleep all day, you know?" 

Shikamaru runs a hand over his face and sighs. "My dad told my mom to get me up and she's never nice about that. I was thrown out of bed, Sakura. It's not a good way to wake up." 

"You poor baby," Sakura replies with a grin. 

Shikamaru grunts before thrusting a basket at her. Blinking in confusion, Sakura accepts it with one hand and opens the top lid with the other. Inside are clear boxes filled with different types of food, some drinks (including milk), half a dozen of eggs, and some candies. 

"You didn't have a chance to go shopping for groceries," he looks away, face a light red. "So I told my mom and she put it together." 

"That's really sweet of you, Shikamaru. Thank you. And please tell your mom I said thank you as well." 

"She wants you to drop by for dinner tonight. Something about...girl talk or whatever." 

Containing her curiosity, Sakura nods. "Um, sure. I plan to stop by anyway to hand in the signed lease." She steps back. "And since you're here..." She waves to the boxes behind her. 

Shikamaru rolls his eyes at her grin. "Whatever." 

"Let's get to work!" Sakura cheers.

* * *

"Why do you have so many lipglosses?" 

"I had a thing for a while." 

"Some of these are new." 

"Shut up."

* * *

Sakura is roughly ten minutes late to the ramen place Naruto likes to frequent. It's the only place she can think of considering neither she nor the boys decided when and where to meet up. Upon her arrival, Sakura stops and stares. It appears Naruto convinced Sasuke to another eating contest. Both are scarfing down their ramen like mad while several bowls are stacked in front of them. 

"Boys," she mutters while shaking her head. 

"Hm - hell - oh, Sak -ack!" Sakura walks over and thumps Naruto on the back twice to stop his choking. 

"Chew before you speak, dummy. What would Sasuke and I do if you die?!" 

"S-Sorry," Naruto manages through deep breaths. 

"Idiot," Sasuke calls. 

Sakura closes her eyes briefly, praying for patience. 

"What'd you say, asshole?" 

"Honestly, you two." Sakura shakes her head. "I just wanna' eat and meet up with Kakashi-sensei. Can't this wait until later?" 

Naruto immediately scoots over and pats the seat between him and Sasuke. "Take a seat, Sakura- chan! I like the outfit!" Sasuke glances at her up and down - Sakura's face heats up - but says nothing. 

"Thank you." Sakura orders a simple shoyu ramen with extra chicken and waits. "How are you both? Feel better?" 

Naruto slurps his noodles enthusiastically and nods. "Much better now that you're here, Sakura- chan." Sakura only rolls her eyes and laughs softly behind her hand. When Sasuke doesn't reply, she nudges his shoulder gently. "Sasuke-kun?" 

"I'm fine." 

Sakura grins; satisfied. "That's good. I'm glad for both of you." 

Naruto downs the broth of his bowl and burps. At Sakura annoyed look, he sheepishly apologizes. "What about you, Sakura-chan? You're parents happy to see ya'?" 

It takes everything in her not to flinch. 

"It went...well, Naruto. They couldn't stay h-home all day so I only saw them for a little bit." 

"Well, now we're back in the village so you can see them more often." Naruto grins. 

Sakura is thankful her food is placed in front of her so she didn't have to look at Naruto. Her shoulders slump a little, but the food is hot. And, decidedly, not bad. She's not the biggest ramen fan. Preferring less broth and more meat. 

"I wonder what Kakashi-sensei will have us go over today? I mean, we just came back from a mission and stuff." Naruto places his chopsticks down. 

"He'll probably have us take D-Rank missions for a while," Sasuke throws in. He places his chopsticks down as well. 

"Or maybe he'll talk to us about the chunin exams?" 

"Chunin exams?" Naruto asks. "What's that?" 

"And where did you hear that?" 

Both her teammates look at her expectingly. Sakura takes her time to eat some of her chicken before replying, "I came across Shikamaru last night." 

"Why?" Sakura blinks at Sasuke. There's an unreadable expression on his face. 

"Because I can?" She rolls her eyes. "I went for a...walk and stumbled across him." More like tripped over... "He told me about them. His team is training for them. The chunin exams are what you think they are. A two or three part exam that allows genin the opportunity to rise to the rank of chunin. Doing so will increase the types of missions assigned." At Naruto's awed face, she continues. "You get to showcase your abilities." 

"When are they?" Naruto asks with a wide grin. 

"At the end of next month." 

"So a month and a half to train," Sasuke replies. "Kakashi better has a good training schedule." 

Sakura snorts. 

Naruto laughs out load. 

"It's Kakashi-sensei! When is he ever prepared?!" 

Sasuke rolls his eyes but doesn't reply. Sakura only smiles to herself. She continues to eat her meal while Sasuke remains silent and Naruto talks loudly about any old thing. When it falls to their mission in Wave, Sakura rubs the clothing over her stomach scar. 

"You'll be okay." 

Sakura blinks before turning her head towards Sasuke just a little. "Sasuke-kun?" 

"It's a part of you now." 

"I know," she whispers back. "It'll just take me some time to get used to it." 

Sasuke hums. 

" - and then Kakashi-sensei said Sakura-chan stabbed him! With a kunai! Just one!" Naruto exclaims while he wraps an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "She saved us." 

"Naruto..." Sakura mumbles. 

"We got lucky," Sasuke states. "But Sakura did well." 

The combined praise from her teammates has Sakura blushing at her half-eaten ramen. It's not often - or ever, really - that Sasuke would offer praise to anyone and Naruto has always been kind with his words. 

"Thank you, Naruto. Sasuke-kun." 

The rest of lunch goes by smoothly. Naruto and Sasuke fall into a petty argument over the Wave mission, but Sakura doesn't mind that they're talking over her. It's nice for all of them to fall back into their familiar attitudes...sort of.

* * *

"You know we have about two hours to kill before he shows up, right?" Sakura takes a seat by the river, slipping off her sandals in the process to let her feet rest in the water. 

"This is lame! I wanna' train!" 

"Idiot." 

"What'd you say, asshole?!" 

Sakura rolls her eyes skyward, silently begging the higher ups for patience.

* * *

She is wrong. 

Kakashi doesn't show up two hours late. He shows up one hour and forty-four minutes late. An improvement in her opinion. He appears in a puff of smoke between Naruto and Sasuke - both stuck in a near hour argument over the uses of cloning - and claps them both on the shoulder. 

"Hello, my cute little students. I trust your lunch went well?" 

"It was nice, Kakashi-sensei, but would have been better if you were there." Sakura shrugs with a smile. 

"Mah, Sakura-chan. I had to do things for the Hokage." 

"Like entering us in the chunin exams?" Sasuke asks. 

Kakashi tilts his head. "Where did you hear about that?" 

"From Sakura-chan!" 

"And where did you hear about that, Sakura-chan?" 

"From Nara," Sasuke replies, voice kind of snappish. Kakashi sends a look to Sakura, who only smiles, before sighing to himself. A picture of defeat. 

"It was supposed to be a surprise..." He sounds sad. 

Sakura knows he's faking it. 

"Anyways, yes. I did, in fact, enter you three into the chunin exam. I think it'd do you some good." 

"Yay!" Naruto pumps a fist into the air. "We're gonna' kick some ass!" 

Sakura sees the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitch into an almost, but not quite, smile. She finds herself smiling full blown while looking at both her teammates. 

"For now, we are going to train. I have a schedule set up for all three of you." 

"Really?" Sakura asks, skeptical. 

"Have faith in your sensei, Sakura-chan!" The look in his eye has Sakura giggle behind one of her hands. 

"Sure thing, sensei." 

"What's the schedule?" 

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's find out what your chakra affinities are." Kakashi pulls out a small stack of papers - within a plastic wrap - from his hip pouch. "You will need to touch one of these papers. Whatever happens to it will determine your chakra type or types." 

"Oh! Me first! Me first!" Naruto hops forward. 

Kakashi chuckles before holding out the stack. Naruto grabs one and immediately the paper splits in two. 

"Wind," Kakashi states. "That's nice Naruto. It gives you many choices in regards to ninjutsu." 

Sasuke steps forward. "I know I have an affinity with fire, but I want to see if there's anything else." Kakashi doesn't reply as he holds out the stack again. 

Sasuke takes it and the paper immediately crinkles. 

Kakashi nods. "Lightning. Very nice." And then he turns to Sakura. "Your turn." 

Sakura gets up, not bothering to put her sandals back on, and walks the few feet to stand in front of Kakashi. He holds out the stack and she takes a sheet. Nothing happens. 

"Maybe it's defective," Naruto states. 

Sakura rolls her eyes despite dread filling her stomach. She takes another sheet, but again, nothing happens. She looks at Kakashi who appears just as confused as she is. 

"That hasn't happened in a long time," he says. 

"What does this mean, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asks. 

"It can mean a few things, really. In some cases, it means you have an affinity for all types. Could mean your chakra type can't be determined yet. Could mean you have spiritual chakra. Or it could mean...something else." He looks away. 

Sakura knows what that look means. 

"Is there any way for her to find out for sure?" Sasuke asks. "She has perfect chakra control." 

"And she's good at recognizing genjutsu!" Naruto adds. 

"Unfortunately," Kakashi starts, "chakra control and genjutsu recognization do not determine one's affinity." He turns to Sakura. "Fortunately, there's a specialist at the hospital you can see. They may be able to help you. Regardless, this won't change our training schedule. For now, we will put this aside," Sakura's shoulders slump, "and focus on why I asked for us to meet up today." Kakashi runs a gloved hand through his spiky hair. "I thought about letting you three take a day since we just got back yesterday, but I get the feeling you wouldn't appreciate that." 

"What's the goal for today?" Sakura asks, smile small. 

Kakashi smiles in return. "Gather around my cute students." He takes a seat on the ground. "Empty your pouches. All three of you." Confused, Sakura follows her teammates in forming a half circle in front of their sensei, taking a seat, and proceeding to dump both her pouches. 

"That's not a lot, dope." Sakura rolls her eyes at the snide comment. 

"Yeah, well, I forgot to refill them." 

"Lack of weapons can mean life or death, Naruto." Sakura sighs before shaking her head. "You need to be ready at all times." 

"Sakura-chan is correct," Kakashi states before Naruto can speak. "Not refilling your pouch is a rookie mistake." 

Naruto's shoulders slump. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. Sorry, Kakashi-sensei." 

"It's okay for right now," Kakashi replies. He pats Naruto's shoulder. "Now, let's go through each other's pouches." 

Naruto (hip pouch): four shurikens, a handful of makibishi spikes, two smoke bombs, and one flash bomb. 

Sasuke (hip pouch): 10+ shuriken of varying sizes, 10 kunai, a handful of makibishi spikes, eight smoke bombs, a dozen of senbon needles, and six flash bombs. 

"Sakura-chan has two pouches." Kakashi nods approvingly. "Very smart." 

She only blushes. 

Sakura (hip pouch): 10+ shuriken of varying sizes, roughly three handfuls of makibishi spikes, 10 smoke bombs, and 10 flash bombs. 

Sakura (thigh pouch): 10+ kunai, two dozen senbon needles, and two 12-inch chains. 

"On our mission in Wave, the one to use weapons the most is Sasuke. Naruto used none. Sakura- chan used one. However," Kakashi strokes his chin, "in terms of readiness, Sakura-chan is the most well prepared. The mission in Wave is one of many you will face during your career as a shinobi. Assuming, of course, that you plan to continue your path after the chunin exams. Part of being your sensei is to make sure you're ready to face trickier situations as you grow." 

He sighs. "You need to have a variety of weapons at your disposal." He looks at each of them separately. "And you need to be able to use them correctly." 

"We learned in the Acadamy," Sasuke states. "It's not difficult." 

Sakura looks away when Kakashi's lingering gaze falls to her. 

"You're from a prestigious clan and a considerable genius with 'natural talent' who excelled in all areas in the Acadamy, Sasuke. But even genius' need a refresher at times." 

Sasuke huffs but doesn't reply. 

"Sakura." Her attention snaps to Kakashi. "What is a weakness of Sasuke's in regards to weaponry?" 

Under the intense gazes of her teammates, Sakura closes her eyes to think... 

"Sasuke-kun has a difficult time maneuvering between weapons under pressure." She doesn't look in Sasuke's direction. 

"Agreed," Kakashi replies. He turns to Sasuke. "Tell me a weakness Naruto has with his weapons." 

"His kunai are too big for his hands. He can only handle one, maybe two, at a time." 

"Hey!" Naruto exclaims. "Kunai are big." 

Kakashi leans forward and picks up one of Naruto's kunai and one of Sakura's. "Look at the size difference, Naruto. Sakura's suit her hands because they are smaller and easier for her to grip. You need to downsize." 

"But..." Naruto trails off, looking away. 

"Finish your sentence, Naruto." 

"Iruka-sensei got them for me." Naruto fiddles with his thumbs. "A gift before going on our Wave mission." 

Sakura watches as Kakashi heaves a sigh. "You don't have to get rid of them, Naruto, but you need to be able to perform to the best of your ability. Especially when it comes to missions. Like Sakura- chan said, it could be a matter of life or death. You'll need a new set until you grew into the ones you own now." 

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." 

"Good." He nods at Naruto. "Your turn. Tell me a weakness regarding Sakura-chan and her weapons." 

Sakura blinks several times when Naruto leans in close to look at her, his face set to a determined expression. 

"Sakura-chan...doesn't really use her weapons." He rubs his neck. "Sorry, Sakura-chan." 

"Don't apologize, Naruto. You're right." Sakura pats his knee. She looks at Kakashi and sighs. "You've seen my test scores, sensei. I excelled in written exams, but fall behind in the other areas. 

That includes weapon training. I'm...average, at best." 

She receives a nod. "I am aware, but it's a good thing you've been placed on a team like this." He shoots her his signature eye smile. "You'll benefit from your teammates and they from you. And you're not as bad as you think. For one, your chakra control is the best I've seen in years. You're well prepared for missions." 

"But I lag behind in ninjutsu and taijutsu and -," he cuts her off. 

"Mah mah, Sakura-chan. We will work on all of that, okay?" She nods, but her hopes aren't high. Kakashi pulls a slip of paper out of his hip pouch and unfolds it. He turns it so it faces the three of them. 

"This is your schedule for the next two weeks." 

Sakura's eyes go wide. 

Team Seven's Schedule:

  * Laps (around the village, 25), Push-ups (300), Sit-ups (250) (Ground 3, 4 AM - 7 AM) 
  * Weight lifting (7:15 AM - 9 AM) 
  * Meditation (9:15 AM - 10 AM) and/or Light jogging (Ground 3, 10 - 15 laps) 
  * *Lunch Break (10:15 AM - 11 AM) 
  * Weapon training (11:15 AM - 2 PM) 
  * Sparring(2:30 PM - 5:45 PM) - KH 
  * *Dinner (6 PM - 6:30 PM) 
  * Ninjutsu (6:45 PM - 10 PM) - KH 



"We're doing this for two whole weeks?!" Naruto asks loudly. "Holy shit." 

"Are you serious about being a shinobi?" Kakashi questions while crossing his arms. 

Sakura tenses along with the others. "Yes!" 

"Then you'll follow this schedule for the next two weeks. What happens after that schedule each day is up to you." At Sakura's puzzled face, he continues. "I set this up so your next two weeks are very busy. Morning to night. In some cases, shinobi are required to work on few hours of sleep. You're young. You need to build up your stamina now. You have six hours between each day to decide." 

"It's a lot, sensei," Sakura says. 

"Yes, yes it is. But that is why I'm giving you the choice. I don't mind staying up late to focus on other things." 

"Staying up late will only make you late," Sasuke replies. "You'll sleep in during the early hours when we get up to do this." Naruto nods rapidly. 

"Again, the choice is there." 

"If we want to go home and rest?" Sakura asks. 

"Then you go home and rest," Kakashi replies. 

"If we...want to keep training?" 

She can see the barest hint of his mask covered lips tilt up. "Then you keep training." 

"And if we want to train with you? As a team?" Sasuke asks, catching on to what Sakura is doing. 

"If that's what you want, Sasuke-chan." 

Sakura turns her head away to hide a grin as Sasuke scowls at their sensei. Naruto crackles. 

"I'll be checking on you throughout your time completing this day-to-day schedule." 

Cocking an eyebrow, Sakura replies, "Really?" 

"Such little faith you have in me, Sakura-chan." 

"I'm asking honestly, sensei." 

"I want you three to succeed in this schedule, in the chunin exams, and as shinobi." 

"What happens after the next two weeks are up?" Naruto asks. "Do we get to do some super cool training?" 

"I have something planned but it depends on your results of your two-week intense training." 

"Why?" It's Sasuke who asks this. 

"Because it will help me decide on whether or not to move you to part two or skip that part completely." 

"So, there are parts? Two weeks to one part so we're done right in time for the exams?" 

Kakashi nods. "That is correct. Now for today, since you three are here, we're going to do target practice. Gather up your weapons and follow me. We're going to Ground 3." 

Sakura gingerly gathers all that she dumped on the ground, taking care to put them back in her pouches exactly the way she packed them and stands up. She, along with Naruto and Sasuke, head for Ground 3 after Kakashi disappears in a black streak. Sakura snorts. If he wanted them to follow him directly, he would have waited. 

"I wonder how today will go," Sakura muses to the boys. 

"Who cares," Naruto replies. "I'm looking forward to the intense training we're gonna' go through. It's gonna' be fun! I can just tell." 

Sasuke hums softly. "I want to know what part two is. Our results will determine if he'll go through with that." 

Sakura nods. "Me too. I don't exactly have the best stamina for something like this." 

"Just do your best, Sakura." Sasuke shakes his head. "You too, idiot. Besides...we're doing this together." 

"That's really sweet, Sasuke-kun." Sakura gently bumps her shoulder against his. 

Naruto grins. "You're such a sap." 

Sasuke looks away but Sakura can see the flush rising up his exposed neck. But she is speaking the truth. Her stamina isn't the greatest. Average, at best. She is grateful for the 15 minute breaks in- between, but 25 laps around the whole village is a lot. Sakura pauses. A wicked thought comes to mind. 

"Hey, Sasuke-kun? Naruto?" She calls to them sweetly. They both stop to stare at her, expressions varying from confused to wary. "Race you!" She darts past them in a burst of happy adrenaline and laughs out loud when Naruto yells about her not being fair.

* * *

Chest heaving, Sakura collapses to the ground. 

"O-Okay," she calls out. "I give. You both win." 

Sasuke sends her a smirk while Naruto just grins with his arms behind his head. Neither show indications of being out of breath. No sweat. No flushed skin. 

"Better luck next time, Sakura-chan!" Naruto gives her a thumbs up. 

"What -" she breathes in deep, " - ever, Naruto." But she laughs anyway. 

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. The next two weeks should help with that." 

Sakura doesn't jump like Naruto and Sasuke do. She had sensed that Kakashi was nearby just before entering Ground 3. 

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yells. "Don't scare us like that!" 

"Ah, sorry." Sakura knows he isn't sorry. "Let's proceed." That's when she notices the targets at different heights on the trees across the clearing from where she and the others are. Each target is a different size. 

"Target practice." 

"You each have your strengths, but I want to see you use your weapons to the fullest today. Even you, Naruto. Try your best. Are you ready?" 

Sakura stands and lines up between Sasuke and Naruto. 

"Yes, sensei!" 

Kakashi chuckles. "Let's begin."

* * *

"Sasuke, you need to stop tensing your fingers so much." 

"Naruto, stop over thinking." 

"Are you even trying, Sakura?" 

Sakura barely conceals a flinch at the question and does not reply. Out of the three of them, she's barely hitting the target. 

"Relax, Sakura-chan." Kakashi is next to her in a minute. He speaks softer. "Stop comparing yourself to Naruto and Sasuke. Focus on what you need to do in order to hit the target." When she misses again, he sighs. "You know, when I was a kid one of my teammates was pretty bad at hitting the center. My sensei suggested he think of the target as someone that really makes my teammate angry. Not just a random enemy, but someone who disappointed him or disrespected him. Why don't you give that a try?" 

When she nods, Kakashi backs off. Sakura focuses at the five targets lined up the tree across from the tree branch she's currently standing on. 

"Someone who disappointed me, huh?" 

Kunai in one hand and senbon needles in the other, she closes her eyes. 

_"...it's time you stop this foolishness...and do something more productive with your life..."_

Sakura opens her eyes and moves. 

_"We are not part of a clan! You aren't needed!"_

Tears collect at the corner of her eyes. 

_"...indulging you..._ " 

Anger starts to build up in her chest. Pure anger. And so much hurt. 

"There will be no shinobi in this family." 

And then she stops. Tears leaving hot trails down her face. She closes her eyes. 

"Woah! Great job, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yells from behind her but she doesn't reply. "Sakura- chan?" And then, "What did you say to her, sensei?!" 

Sakura only manages to shake her head. 

"Sakura." 

She doesn't reply. 

"Sakura, look at me." 

A hand rests gently on her head. "Sakura-chan, look at how well you did." 

Finally, she rubs at her eyes and looks up only to stop and stare at what she sees. Every kunai she had thrown, every needle she sent flying, is stuck at the center of each target. 

"I'm really proud of you, Sakura-chan. You hit every center." 

Sakura sniffles. "T-Thank you, sensei." 

He ruffles her hair before backing away so Naruto can take his place. Naruto, her touch loving friend, doesn't hesitate to pull her into a hug. 

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan! You did better than the asshole!" 

"She did better than you, too, dumbass." 

Sakura giggles against Naruto's neck. There giggle gets louder and the next thing she knows, she's laughing while sagging against Naruto. He smells like sweat, dirt, and miso soup, but she wouldn't have it any other way. 

"Ah, let's continue for a few more hours and then we'll stop for today." 

Sakura backs away and nods. "Yes, sensei." She smiles at Naruto. "Thank you." 

Receiving a beaming smile in return, Sakura moves back to her position. Kakashi has already collected her weapons and placed them in a neat pile near the tree trunk. Sakura is thankful for the thick branches. Feeling as though someone is watching her closely, Sakura looks over to see Sasuke gazing at her directly. 

He blinks. _Want to talk about it?_

She shakes her head. _Not today_. 

He nods. _Alright_. 

And they get back to work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://i-just-really-love-sakura.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/unpretty_barbie?s=09)   
> 

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://i-just-really-love-sakura.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/unpretty_barbie?s=09)   
> 


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